Track Towards a Deadline

Owned by Johan Brodin
Last updated: Nov 05, 2021
3 min read

For detailed information on Monte Carlo simulations please go to the “When are you done?“ page.

Answer the question “when are you done?”. The tracking tab enables you to track agains a target date (deadline)

Tracking Chart

Please see the tracking chart basic information marked in red.

Configure Tracking Chart

Configure

  • Monte Carlo simulation on issue count or story points

  • Total target scope - The actual scope is shown to the right and scope on top is scope buffer.

  • Target Date - Set your deadline

  • Chart x-axis start date - The chart start date (only to make the chart look nice)

  • Throughput start date (next pic) - Teams might have different velocity periods. The setting enables the user to set the simulation throughput start date e.g. skipping summer vacation from the simulation.

Play Scenarios

Configure

  • Set scenario target scope

  • Reduce scope from loaded data set - This setting enables you to play different scenarios e.g. what happens if all issues with label X are removed?

  • Scenario average daily throughput - What happens if resources are added or remove. Simulate this by setting that the average daily output (issue count or story point)

Run scenario by pressing the “Play Scenario“ button. When pressing “Back to Tracking“ the solution goes back to the original tracking chart.

S-Curve Tracking

A normal behaviour in software development is that the output is lower in the beginning, higher in the middle and then lower at the end of a project. This is described as a S-Curve project. Agile Project supports full Monte Carlo simulation including playing scenarios also in S-Curve mode. .

Press the S-Curve option. Please note that the chart might fail to draw depending on your loaded data set.

The S-Curve can be configured to fit the expected project output shape (blue color). Press the config top right icon and select the S-Curve setting tab.

Scope Forecast

A normal behaviour is that scope is frozen or left-over descoped at project end. However to get a feel on scope growth to target date the “Scope Forecast“ is available.